Fabric measuring and cost computing machine



"Apr,4 17, 1923.

G. B. KYLE FABRIC MEASURING AND-COST COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Nov. '7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l Apr. 17, 1923. 1,452,279 l G. B'. KYLE FABRIC MEASURING AND COST COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Nov. '7, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1923 unire GEORGE B. KYLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOR TO THE MEASUREGRAPH COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION BELAWARE.

FABRIC MEASURING AND CSTCGMPUTNG MACHINE.

Application filed November T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I. Grenen B. KYLE, a citizen of the United States, residingrin the city of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fabric Measuring and Cost Computing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fabric measuring and cost computing machines and particularly tothe type of machine which comprises a marking device or knife for marking the fabric at the point where it is to be cut off after a mea-surement has been made. The type of machine referred to, also in-y cludes a movable presser roller which is raised automatically from Contact with the measuring roller when the marking knife is:

actuated. In the regular operation of such a machine, the indicating mechanism is reset to Zero by pressing av resetting button after the presser roller has been raised-by the operation of the knife. But in making measurements with such a machine it sometimes happens that a customer may request a given number of yards, for example, five yards, and when the measuring movement is nearly completed, may desire to purchase a length off another pattern or bolt. Vilhen this occurs it is, of course, impracticable to operate the knife because this would snip the edge of the fabric. However, it is necessary to effect the raising of the presser roller in order to enable the fabric to be removed.

The general object of the present inven tion is to provide a machine of this kind with means independent of the knife which can be used when desired to effect the rais# ing of the presser roller without the usual previous actuation of the knife; and also to provide such construction with means `operating simultaneously7 to effect the resetting of the indicating mechanism to Zero.

It might be supposed that the dimculty pointed out above could be overcome by pulling the fabric laterally from between the rollers but when this is done there is a invention will ap- `lO'and a presser. roller 11.

7, 192.1.. Serial No. 513,303.

after, all of which contribute to produce a simple and eiiicient special resetting attach ment for fabric measuring and cost computing machines. A preferred embodiment of my invention will be described in the following specification. Awhile the broad scope of my invention will bev pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawin Figure 1 isa plan of a` machine embodying my invention; n l

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the machine shown yiii-Figure l with the casing i'iartially broken away, and showing the rel lationiof the parts in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the baseplate of the machine, the casing being removed; thisview particularly illustrates the means for driving the indicating mechanism;`

Figure 4i is av horizontalsection taken about on the level of the line aof Figure 2 and illustrating` details Vof the presser roller;

`lFigure 5 is a side elevation of the machine with the casing broken away, and shown partially in section;

Figure 6 is an end view of the machine with the casing broken away; and

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken through the axis of the clutch shaft.

The machine in which I have embodied this invention comprises a casing l, the up-r per side of which is provided with a dial 2 with which movable pointers 3 and 4 co-v operate to indicatev the length measured. These pointers constitute part of the indieating mechanism which also includes two computing charts 5 and 6 which are visible through two windows 7 and S formed in the upper, side ofthe casing. In the operation of the machine the goods to be measured is pulled through a gap or measuring throat 9 so that it passes between a measuringy roller (See Fig. 2.) The rotation of the measuring roller is imparted to the charts 5 and 6 through suitable driving mechanism. I provide resetting means to resetthe indicatingT mechanism to Zero; this means is actuated automatically by the operation of-the marking means. I also provide a hand-operated member independent `of the marking-means the move-A,

ment of which raises the presser roller andalso aetuates the resetting means to reset the 7.) The pinion 16 .in turn drives a large gear 17 mounted to rotate on anarbor 18.

This gear' 17 carries a rigid pinion 1 9 which meshes with an idler 2O and this idler meshes with two lgear wheels 21 and 22 which are rigidly mounted on the sha'tts o't two takeup rollers2' and 241. (See Fig. 2.) In this way. when the clutch 7 is closed. the rotation'ot the measuring roller vwill effect a rotation ot the take-up rollers 23 and 211 in a, direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. This will draw vthe charts oit of a supply drum 25 which is provided with resetting' means in the torm of a spring 25a which operates to maintain the charts in tension and to return the charts to the Zero position after a measuring movement. These tea'- tures of the machine have been fully described in Patent No. 1390.323, issued to John L. iVheeler, on the 13th day of September. 1921. The charts and 6 carry computed numbers which correspond to different price rates shown on .two scales 27 and 28 .vhich co-operate with the charts74 and in addition to this. one ot the charts bears numbers such as the number 3 which indicates the number ot yards which the measuring pointers 3 and @indicate i l` The presser roller 11 is mounted upon a movable trame comprising` a roei sha'tt 29 (seeFigures 2 and t), the ends of which are rotatably supported in the frame ot the machine. For this purpose the inner end ot the rock shaft 29 is secured in a vertical trame plate which supports the driving tear train which has already been described. This rock shaft 29 carries an varm 31 which carries au arbor rotatably supportingr the presser roller. Springs 32 are provided which connect with short arms on the presser roller 'trame (see Figure ll) and these springs tend to hold. the presser roller against the upper .tace ot the u'ieasuring: roller.y

rI he machine is provided with a marking:

.Clevice or knife B3 which is mounted on a horizontal lpivot bolt 34 t see Figure 6). This knife carries a blade which co-operates with a VtiXed blade '36 when the knife is depressed. to cut the. edge o't'the tabric and mark the quantity measured. to enable the same to be cut ott at the proper point. As the knife lever descends. its edge actuates an arm 87 which projects from the rock shaft 29v lot the presser roller trame and this effects the raising' of the presser roller. That is to say, it moves the presser roller up to separate it from the measuringr roller. Then this occurs. a spring-pressed latch 38. Fig. 4i. snaps over the arm 37 and holds the presser roller up against the action ot the springs 32. i L

lli/Then this machine is beine used in thel regular way to measure oil lengths to he cut .trom a bolt or roll. then the knife lever is operated in the manner just described. However, in order to adapt the machine for measuring renmants and to enable it to be set back to zero atter the measure has been taken. without actuating' the kni'ie lever. provide a hand-operated member iudependent ot the knife lever which will etiiect the raisingr ot the presser roller and which will also effect the opening of the clutch l141-15. thereby enabling; the spring' roller` to return the indicatingy n'ierhanism to Zero. For this purpose the clutch member 15 is rigidly secured'uilion a clutch shaft Z39 (see Fifi'. 7) which is mounted to slide in a bracket l,ttl at its outer end. and in the aforesaid vertical frame plate 130. at its inner end. A clutch spring 41 tends to hold this clutch closed. In this connection it should be understood thatthe hub or clutch member is mounted to rotate in a part oi the bracket 41-0 and permits the clutch shaft 39 to slide freely through it. lilith this construction it is evident that by shovingl in on the outer end ot the clutch shai't 39. thel clutch will be opened. i

The inward movement ot the clutch shaft in this way may be accomplished by means ot a hand-operated member in the form o't'a bell crank lever 42, Fig. 5, which projects through a slot43 in the wall ot the casing` at one end.. The vertical arm 114 of this lever is connected b v a link 15 with a short lever 46 which engages the outer end of the clutch shatt near the pivot pin 47 which supports the lever 46 on the underside ot ther horizontal. bracket plate 48 within the machine. l

ln order to ettect the raising'y oiFi thc presser roller. the arm fli4l is attached to a. link 49 the inner end. ot' which actuates a bell crank lever 5() supportedr on a suitable bracket 51, and the horizontal arm ot this lever is attached to a twisted link 52 which extends upwardly and is attached to an arm carried by a reduced extension 5ft ot the rock shaft (flee Figs. 4e and 6.) The outerend ol the bell crank lever 41-2 is provided withv a thumbplate 42a and it will be evident that when this thumb vplate isde-` pressed. the bell crank lever will operate to open the clutch. and through the medium ot the link 52 and bell crank lever 50. will also operate to raise the presser roller. In the present embodiment oit the invention, opening the clutch will actuate the resetting means and effect the return of the indicat- -release the presser roller andpermit it to descend upon the measuring roller.l

It has not seemed necessary `to describe the means for effecting the driving of the pointers 3 and 4 because this means has been fully described in the patent referred to above. In this connection it should noted that the charts afford means for indicating the length measured in addition to the cost computed at various price rates per yard.

Itis understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one ofL `rthe ymany embodiments my invention may take, and l do not Wish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

l. In a fabric measuring machine comprising a presser roller, and marking means to mark the edge of the fabric, and to raise the presser roller when the said means is actuated, the combination of a measuring roller, indicating mechanism, resetting means, for returning the indicating mechanism to the Zero position, a movable member independent of the marking means, and means actuated by said member for raising the presser roller and for simultaneously actuating the resettingmechanism to reset the indicating mechanism to zero.

2. In a fabric measuring machine comprising a presser roller, and marking means to mark the edge of the fabric, and to raise the presser roller when the said means is actuated, the combination of a measuring roller, indicating mechanism actuated by said measuring roller, resetting means in the form of a spring for returning the indicating mechanism to the Zero position, a movable member independent of they marking means. and means actuated by said member for raising the presser roller and for simultaneously actuating the springto reset the indicating mechanism to zero.

3. in a fabric measuring machine comprising a presser roller, and marking means to mark the edge of the fabric and to raise the presser roller when the said means is actuated, the combination of a measuring roller, indicating mechanism, a clutch and driving mechanism driven by the measuring roller for driving the indicating mechanism, means for resetting the indicating mechanism to zero after the clutch has been opened, a movable member independent of the markus means, and means actuated .by

be y

said member for raising the presser roller and for simultaneously opening the clutch to permit the resetting mechanism to effect the resetting of the indicating mechanism to zero.

4. ln a fabric measuring machine comi'nisingr marking` means for n'iarking the edge oi the fabric, and a presser roller With ak movable frame operable so as to be raised by the actuation of the marking means. the combination of a measuring roller, indicatingl mechanism, a clutch and driving mechanism driven by the measuring roller for driving the indicating mechanism, means for resetting the indicating mechanism to Zero after the clutch has been opened.y a hand-actuated member independent of the marking means, inea-ns actuated by said member for opening the clutch, and means also actuated by the same and connected with the presser roller frame for raising the same..

ln a fabric measuring machine comprising marking means for marking the edge of the fabric, and a presser .roller With a movable frame operable sofas to be raised bythe actuation of the marking means', the combination of a measuring roller. indicating mechanism, a clutch and driving mechanism driven by the'measuring roller for driving the indicating mechanism, means for resetting the indicating mechanism to Zero after the clutch has been opened, a hand-actuated member independent of the marking means, means actuated by said member for opening the clutch, and means also actuated by the said member and connected With the presser roller frame for raising the same,

'and means for latching the presser roller frame in its raised position.

6. in a fabric measuring machine comprising marking means for marking the edge of the fabric and a presser roller mounted in a rocker frame operating to be raised by the actuation of the marking means. the combination of a measuring roller, indicating mechanism, a clutch, driving mecha.- nism driven by the measuring roller for driving the indicating mechanism, means for resetting` the indicating mechanism to Zero afte the clutch has been opened, a handactuated member independent of the marking` means, means actuated by said memberv for opening the clutch, and means connecting the hand-actuated member with the presser roller frame for rocking` the same.'

to raise the presser roller raway from, the measuring roller.

7. In a fabric measuring machine comprising vmarking means for marking the edge of the fabric and a presser roller mounted in a rocker frame operating to be raised by the actuation of ther marking means, the combination of a measuring roller, indicating mechanism, a clutch, drivw "L" from the measuring roller, and a hand-acing mechanism driven by the measuring roller for driving the indicating mech anism, means for resetting` the indicating' mechanism yto zero after the clutch has been opened, a hand-actuated member independent of the *marking` means, means actuated by said member for opening' the clutch, and means connecting the. hand-actuated member withk the presser roller frame for rocking the same to raise 'the presser roller away tua-.ted latch (for latchiirethe presser roller iframe in its raised position.

S. ln a fabric-ineasuring machine, the rombination of a measuring* roller, a presserroller, a presser-roller frame carrying the same and mounted to move se as to enable the presser-roller to co-operate With the measuring roller during' the measuring operation, indicating` mechanism. clutch and driving` mechanism driven byv the measuring' 1 oller for driving' the indicating-mech anism, a bell-crank lever, means actuated by the bell-crank lever for opening; the clutch, means actuated. rbythe bell-cranhY lever for moving the presserroller away from the measuring roller,` and means iter returning the indicatingY mechanism to zero after the clutch has been opened.

9, in a fabric-measuring;` machine, the combination et a trame including` a substantially vertical frame plate, a measuring roller supported by the frame plate, a rockV-` irs' 'frame mounted in said trame` a pressen :feller carried thereby to cooperate With the measuring' roller dui-ine' the measuring movement. said rocking frame having; a shaft extending' beyond said 'frame plate, indicatingnieehanism, a clutch and driving; mechanism driven by the measuring;- roller 'for driving; the indicating; mechanism, a casing. a. hand-aetuate il lever wit-hin the casing and projectingr to the exterior thereof. means actuated by said lever and connected with said shaft to raise the rocking' iframe and thereby move the presser-roller away 'from the i'i'ieasuring` roller, means alsqactuated by said lever Vto open the clutch, and means for` returning the indicating-medianism to Zero after the clutch has been opened.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

GEC. B. KYLE. 

